


Date Me (For Convenience's Sake)

by notaguitarfret



Series: "They're all girlfriends" AU [31]
Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/F, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, teeny bit of angst but does it really matter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:13:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24114091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notaguitarfret/pseuds/notaguitarfret
Summary: The Heathers and Veronica go on their first date together, and Veronica and Heather McNamara notice something off about Heather Chandler.
Relationships: Heather Chandler/Heather Duke, Heather Chandler/Heather Duke/Heather McNamara/Veronica Sawyer, Heather Chandler/Heather McNamara, Heather Chandler/Veronica Sawyer, Heather Duke/Heather McNamara, Heather Duke/Veronica Sawyer, Heather McNamara/Veronica Sawyer
Series: "They're all girlfriends" AU [31]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1053590
Comments: 33
Kudos: 187





	Date Me (For Convenience's Sake)

“This is really taking me back,” Veronica said as the mascara wand painted her lashes with care.

“Is that so?” Chandler commented, completely focused on her makeup. Duke was busy painting her nails as neat as she possibly could - so far she didn’t see a single splodge on her skin, which was impressive. In the background, she saw Mara looking through the different accessories the trio had placed on display for her, deep in thought on which ones she should wear.

“Yeah. It has been months, so many things have changed, and you three _still_ don’t trust me to dress myself nice.

“No, we don’t,” the three of them replied nonchalantly. Veronica rolled her eyes, only to be scolded by Chandler.

“Don’t move! You’ll get clumps in your lashes.” Veronica sat completely still in response, but only for the last couple of seconds Chandler spent on her eye makeup. “Alright, done.”

“Did I really need to stay still for that long?” she asked. Chandler just rolled her eyes, before planting a kiss on her lips. Then she parted, and gazed at her lips thoughtfully.

“Hmm… blue or purple?” she wondered out loud. Duke looked up from her nails.

“Was your lipstick supposed to be a demonstration? Because, my dear, your lipstick is red.”

Something in Chandler’s demeanor changed ever so slightly. It was as if she got so caught off guard that her knees buckled underneath her, particularly when she heard Duke say ‘my dear’. Veronica gazed at her curiously.

_Odd._

“But also, I’m giving her purple nails, so purple lipstick works,” Duke added, before returning to her hands. Her fingers were so soft and gentle on her palm as she held her fingers flat, contrasting to how when they had first given Veronica a complete makeover, Duke had pulled on her hair mercilessly as she styled it. Sure, she’d done a good job, but fuck, her scalp hurt so much that day. At least tonight she had been gentle with her brush strokes, and left her with luscious curls on her ends.

“You don’t have to go _this_ much out, you know,” she said. “It’s just a date between the four of us, and I doubt any of you care _this_ much about how I look.”

“I was doing it for Heather and Heather,” the three of them replied, before all glancing at each other. “Aww, really?” they all said. Veronica snorted.

“I think I’m dating three copies of the same person.”

“No you’re not,” they all said, before looking back at each other. “Okay, seriously, stop it.”

“You stop it first,” Chandler broke the unintentional acapella.

“Who, me, or Heather?” Mara asked.

“Either one works.”

Veronica laughed again, up until Chandler held her mouth still to apply dark purple lipstick. Soon enough, they were all finished with her, her makeup being done, her nails completely painted and her accessories consisting of that navy flower crown Mara had bought for her a few months ago, along with her silver brooch that she placed right on her grey shoulderless top. Oh, and as a finishing touch, the necklace she’d bought her for her birthday. It was a pretty pale blue-violet gem encased in silver lining… it was called dumor...tierite? Something like that.

“Now that we’re all dolled up,” Chandler announced, pulling Veronica off her bed. “How about we get going to our first stop?”

“What _is_ our first stop?” Veronica asked. “You’ve been holding off telling me.” 

“Oh, you’re going to _love_ it,” Duke said with a grin, wrapping her arm around her’s. “Though, courtesy of Heather, not me.”

“Yeah, I take credit,” Chandler said proudly as she led the group out her room, down the stairs and out of her house. “Now, all of you call dibs on who’s getting what seats. No set rules.”

“ _Front!_ ” Mara exclaimed, dashing down the patio and jumped into the passenger's seat, her frilly yellow dress blowing in the wind, along with her tight black cardigan that cut off just above her waist. Veronica and Duke looked at each other and shrugged.

“Guess we’re in the back then.”

They settled in the back seats, and soon enough the car was started up. Though it was dark out (they’d purposely waited until late so there would be… fewer witnesses to possible lesbian activity) she could clearly see Duke in her outfit. Her hair was curly, much more bouncier than usual, with a light green jacket and a green flower to accompany it - similar to the yellow flower on Mara’s black jacket, along with a black skirt and white opaque tights. While Chandler and Mac were busy giggling with each other at the front as the car, Veronica leaned over to Duke and murmured,

“You look very pretty.”

Duke snorted as she shuffled a little closer, or at least, as much as her seatbelt would allow her to. “You’ve only now noticed what I look like?”

“I’m trying to flirt,” Veronica stated, before letting out a hum. “Hey, Heather, are there any people around?”

“Not for miles,” Chandler replied. “Other than some cars in the distance, but I doubt they can see into our windows. Just don’t fuck when we’re at red lights, okay? That’s more obvious.”

“We’re not going to fuck!” Veronica told her, quickly unbuckling her seatbelt (despite Duke’s protests) and moving along the seat to buckle herself into the middle seat. “I just wanted to kiss her more easily.”

“Charming, I must say,” Duke murmured. Veronica grinned, before cupping her cheek as she leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her dark pink lips.

“Don’t ruin your lipstick, the date hasn’t even started yet,” Chandler interrupted. Veronica just pulled tongues at her.

“You’ll be quiet about that when I’m kissing _you,_ Heather.”

That seemed to shut her up, and so Veronica smugly returned to kissing her girlfriend, and while avoiding getting too suggestive in the back of Heather’s car, she did sneak in a few neck kisses, one of the things she had remembered from their last date that had been pleasant for Heather. They were nothing too hard, just gentle pecks along the length of her neck that made her giggle sweetly.

“Will this place still be open, Heather?” she heard Mara ask at the front. “It’s past 8pm.”

“They serve late. I checked.”

Veronica, resting her chin on Duke’s head, grew curious.

“Where are we going?”

“Quit asking, because we’re here,” Chandler announced, pulling onto a curb just opposite the park. Veronica stepped out, missing Duke’s warmth against her as soon as the cold air hit her, and found herself being led to a small little cafe that she had seen around these parts, but had never visited. It had always been more a piece of a suburbian background than anything else.

“This is very unexpected,” she commented. “You’re taking me to a little cafe?”

“Hey, be grateful, Sawyer!” Chandler turned around and scolded her. “We’re letting you in on an old middle school tradition.”

“Makes up for all the time we lost, too,” Duke added, shoving her forward.

“I haven’t been here in years. I’m basically having my first experience all over again!” Mara said excitedly, before pulling Veronica inside by the hand. “Can I order for you?”

“Sure,” Veronica said, unable to stop herself from blushing from flattery.

“But _I_ was going to order for her,” Chandler whined from behind them, before humming thoughtfully. “I’ll just order for you,” she said, looking at Mara, who laughed.

“But who will order for you?”

Chandler paused to think, before swivelling around towards Duke. She batted her lashes sweetly at her, only to be shot down by Duke rolling her eyes.

“How about we just go in wealth order?” she suggested. “Veronica, me, Heather, and Emmy.”

“No! Don’t worry about it, I’ll order for everyone,” Mara insisted, already walking over to the counter. “Now, what does everyone want?”

When she shut down every protest that everyone gave her, they all put in their orders to the woman who had hurried over to the counter to listen to their list. Mara ordered a caramel frappuccino along with a belgian chocolate brownie, Chandler ordered a cafe bombon - whatever the fuck that was - Duke ordered an iced coffee, and Veronica a double espresso with chocolate covered espresso beans.

“Veronica, you are _asking_ for your insomnia at this point,” Chandler said, coming to lean next to the counter next to her as they waited for their order. Veronica shrugged.

“I die not being a coward,” she said. “Also, what in the fuck is _your_ order?”

“And you call yourself a coffee lover? It’s just coffee with condensed milk.” She pointed to the glass that just landed on the tray. “See, it looks pretty.”

With the drink having a white layer on the bottom, and a dark layer above it, along with a frothy layer floating on top, she had to admit, it definitely looked appealing. She turned around and gazed at her pleadingly, to which Chandler rolled her eyes.

“Yes, of course you can try it.”

“See, this is why I love you.”

“Which is?”

“Your impossibly high standards for everything that allow me to experience the unknown wonders of life.”

“Isn’t that why you joined the Heathers in the first place?”

“That’s one way of putting it.”

Soon enough all their orders were placed on the tray, and they went and took a seat on the far end of the cafe, though not before,

“Oh, I think you’ve given me a bit too much, my dear!” the lady behind the counter said, attempting to give some money back to Mara, who refused it.

“Oh, no, take it! That’s a 60% tip. Uh… I think?” She glanced at Duke. “Did I do the math right?”

“Oh… thank you,” she said with an uplifting smile. “You’re too kind.”

“It’s no problem!” she giggled, before following the group over to their table. Veronica had settled next to the window, with Duke sitting next to her, and Chandler opposite.

“This is a really cute place,” Veronica commented, looking around at the floral decor. “Not what I expected as a Heathers tradition, though.”

“More of a middle school tradition,” Duke said, taking a sip of her drink.

“Aw, so it’s essentially a shred of innocence left over from years of manipulating the entire school?”

They all glanced at each other and gave a shrug.

“In some ways, yes,” Chandler said as she took a sip of her drink after having stirred it around, which distracted Veronica from their conversation. She gazed at her expectantly, leaning forward on her hands and batting her lashes at her. Chandler rolled her eyes, before handing the glass over to her. She took a gulp (perhaps a bit too quickly to properly savour it) and was met with a creamy texture flowing into her mouth.

“It’s just like you,” she said as she handed it back. Chandler raised a brow. “Looks super good, tastes even better, but definitely out of my league.”

Both Duke and Mara burst out laughing, while Chandler was clearly trying (and failing) to stop herself from smiling.

“You’re hilarious,” Chandler said dryly, reaching forward to wipe some coffee off the corner of Veronica’s mouth. Veronica just grinned at her, before drinking some of her double espresso.

“Anyone want a sip of mine, by the way?” she asked.

“I don’t know how you can _drink_ that,” Duke said, her face twisting with disgust. “It’s so fucking _strong._ ”

“You’re just a coward.” She took another gulp. “Heather?”

“I… have never had double espresso,” Chandler said. “But I’m sure Heather is exaggerating.” She shot Duke a smirk, and was met with a scoff.

“Be our guest.”

Chandler took a sip, and almost instantly did her confidence diminish. She handed it back before she coughed, nose scrunching up as she swallowed the incredibly bitter drink.

“Well, you _tried_ to impress us,” Veronica tutted. Chandler glared at her.

“I’m not trying to impress anyone.” She quickly sipped her own drink in an attempt to wash the flavour down. “How are you drinking that whole thing?”

“Because she’s Veronica, Cherry,” Mara said. “And I would also try it, but I’m not the biggest coffee fan. Unless it’s super sweet, of course.” She scooped some of her whipped cream with her finger. “I don’t think I need to demonstrate my tolerance for bitter flavours, though.”

“Nah, we already know you have an invincible tongue,” Veronica said.

“In more ways than one,” Duke murmured. Veronica was pretty sure no one was meant to hear it, as when everyone snickered, her cheeks turned a darker shade.

“It’s weird hearing _you_ say the innuendos, Heather,” Veronica chuckled. Duke sank into her chair.

“You’re all awful influences on me.”

“We’re not _that_ bad,” Chandler said.

“You in particular are _especially_ bad.”

“Oh.” She pouted sadly, still gazing at her with wide, glistening puppy eyes. She gazed at her for a while. Long after they moved on from the joke, actually.

“Do _you_ want to try my coffee, Heather?” Chandler eventually asked. Veronica watched her curiously - she usually would ask Mara first, especially when she’s sitting right next to her. Though, she could chalk that up to her not liking coffee… even though Chandler’s drink is by no means bitter.

“I’m curious, so why not.”

When Duke accepted her offer, something lit up in Chandler’s gaze. She continued to stare as Duke took a small sip, the glee in her eyes more than obvious.

“Veronica’s right. It _is_ like you.” She handed the drink back.

“Does that mean you like the taste?”

It was then that she caught Mara’s gaze. Okay, so clearly it wasn’t just her thinking that her choice of words held… certain implications, as they both exchanged a questioning look.

“It means it’s needlessly of high standards.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she murmured, staring out the window into the dimly lit street. Veronica looked back at Mara, who was gazing at Chandler skeptically.

“Can _I_ have a taste?” she asked in a chippy tone, though Veronica could tell she was incredibly suspicious.

“Hm? Oh, of course you can.” She quickly handed it to her so she could take a sip, before resuming to whatever she was daydreaming about as she stared out the window. Veronica couldn’t help but wonder if that daydream involved… anything with the girl sitting next to her.

 _No… that can’t be it,_ she scolded herself for thinking such a thing. _Heather can’t_ possibly _feel that away about Heather._

She caught Chandler’s eyes flickering back to Duke for the briefest moment.

_...Right?_

Catching Mara’s gaze again, she loudly announced.

“I just need the bathroom.”

She stood up, and Mara managed to catch on.

“Oh, me too. I’ll come with you.”

“If you’re gone for more than ten minutes, we’re going to presume you’re fucking,” Duke quipped. Veronica flipped her off playfully, before hurrying around the corner and into the small, two-stall bathroom.

“So I’m not just misinterpreting things, right?” Mara said as soon as the door was closed. “Something is going on?”

“Oh, absolutely. Heather keeps… looking at her.”

“Not only that, but every time does, her leg keeps bouncing, like she’s anxious or something,” Mara said.

“I didn’t even notice that.”

“But you noticed her flirty-sounding pick-up lines, right?”

“Definitely.”

“But there’s no way she can…”

“...Have a crush on her?” Veronica shrugged. “Sure, they have a complicated history, but they've been pretty good lately. I don’t see a reason why not. Besides, feelings come when you least expect them - I think if anyone should know that, it should be the four of _us_.”

Mara cupped her chin thoughtfully.

“So… this could be happening, huh?”

“We’ll have to keep looking for signs to confirm it… but probably.”

They stood in silence for a moment.

“She’s probably internally panicking about it, isn’t she?” Mara sighed.

“Oh, absolutely.”

* * *

“I don’t think you should have drank that espresso so quickly,” Duke commented as they walked back towards the car. Veronica blew her off as she crunched another chocolate espresso bean.

“Oh, I’ll be fine. Besides, I wasn’t gonna let it go to waste.”

So they may or may not have stayed and talked in that cafe for a little longer than intended, so when they were alerted that they were closing in five minutes, Veronica had quickly thrown the rest of her espresso down her throat so she could neatly pile all the glasses together out of pure courtesy. Oh, and they may or may not have confused the woman working at the counter after she’d innocently asked them if they were all dolled up for a girls night or a date night. She got mixed responses, but whatever, she didn’t seem to be suspicious.

“Thank you for taking us there, by the way,” she said, running up to Chandler. With no one around to witness, she gave her a small kiss on her cheek, and she got a blush in return.

“I knew you in particular would appreciate the coffee,” she said. “And for the rest of us it’s a trip down nostalgia road.” She then turned to Mara. “Now, it’s your turn. What are your plans for this date?”

Mara bounced excitedly, stopping just next to the car to begin looking through her handbag.. As she rummaged through it, Veronica noticed how she seemed a little more bouncy (and very adorable) than usual, and Veronica could only guess all the sugar she had consumed in the past hour was having an effect. Or perhaps she was just really excited to be on a date with all three of her girlfriends, which Veronica could hardly blame her for.

“So, for _my_ part of the date, it would be best if we actually did it while going on Dewdrop’s plan for the date.” She turned around, revealing four small sketchpads in her hands, along with pencils tucked in their rings. “But basically, the plan is we all draw something that we find really pretty!” she explained, handing them out to everyone. “I just figured we couldn’t exactly sketch anything by just standing here, so since Heather’s plan is to go for a walk, I figured it would work perfectly with _my_ idea!”

“Oh… Heather, that’s a really sweet idea, but I can hardly draw a circle,” Veronica said.

“It doesn’t need to be good, silly!” she laughed. “It could be the worst, most indecipherable drawing ever, and it wouldn’t matter. I just thought it would be a nice activity for us to share.”

“Did you need to give us an entire sketchpad?” Chandler questioned. “Assuming we’re only doing one drawing.”

“Because I want you to keep the drawings safe, and if you end up liking this idea, you can always add more drawings afterwards!”

“My drawing is going to be terrible, but you’re too cute for me to refuse,” Veronica said.

“I know,” Mara replied with a smile. “Now, Heather, where are we going?”

“Not too far, and nowhere too dark,” Duke said, tucking the sketchbook into her handbag. “But surprisingly enough, walking when no one is around is a pleasant feeling. Though it _is_ dark, and though there’s four of us…” She reached into her bag and pulled out a tiny pocket knife. “I figured we better be safe than sorry.”

“What if we get charged for stabbing someone with that?” Veronica asked. Duke thought for a moment, before shoving it into Chandler’s hand. Notably, the contact made Chandler flinch, and had Veronica not gained a newfound awareness of a possible crush, she’d assume the knife accidentally poked her.

“If someone jumps us, you stab them.”

“Why _me?_ ”

“Because you’re the only minor out of all of us. You’ll get in less trouble.”

“I’m basically the same age.”

“I mean, yeah, we’re all still teens, but legally speaking, you’re basically a child.”

Chandler rolled her eyes, though she did end up slipping the knife into the pocket of her black skirt anyway.

With that, the group wandered into the park, all walking at a slow pace with how three out of four of them were wearing heels, and they didn’t exactly want to make their feet ache five minutes in.

The park was close to empty - in the distance they could see a late night dog walker, their silhouette only visible due to a nearby street light, but other than that, the park was practically barren. It would be silent as well, had three pairs of heels not been clicking against the stone path.

Though the scenery was dimly lit, Veronica already found a few things she could possibly draw. She walked past a pretty patch of violets, and while many didn’t appreciate them, she did in fact like the look of dandelions, especially when they turned white. Still, she was yet to take her sketchpad out of her bag.

As she looked around the field she walked through and the woods in the distance, something came up from behind her and hooked around her arm. She was surprised that Chandler had been the first to initiate such an act of affection, especially in public, but she certainly wasn’t complaining.

“So, find anything you wanna draw yet?” Chandler asked, holding her arm tightly. Veronica chuckled.

“Not quite sure yet.” She leaned a little closer to her, the clouds riding her breath brushing over her freckled cheeks.

“Just draw me then,” she said with an impish grin, leaning towards her ear. Veronica giggled as she felt her lips brush against her lobe and over her cartilage piercing.

“I feel like that’s cheating. Besides, how am I meant to capture your beauty when I can’t draw for shit?”

That seemed to fluster her at least a little, with how her mouth hung slightly open and her lashes fluttered. Veronica laughed.

“You’re cute.”

“Fuck you, stop making me _feel_ cute,” she grumbled. “I’m meant to be intimidating.”

“You’re real intimidating when you’re clinging onto me on this nice little promenade through the park,” she said with a grin. “You know, I was expecting this date to be a lot more lively, with most of the choices being of your, Heather and Heather’s influence. Not that I’m complaining - it’s been really nice so far.”

“I can tell by how bouncy you are.”

“Bouncy?”

Chandler rolled her eyes, holding up her arm. “You haven’t noticed yourself shaking just a little? I think that coffee’s hit you a little hard.”

Veronica squinted at her hand, and realised that she was indeed jittering quite a bit.

“Not that it isn’t cute - it is,” Chandler said with a grin. “But it looks like your drawing is gonna have to wait until this dies down, huh?”

Veronica giggled a little. “Yeah… looks like it.”

“See, you’re even all giggly,” Chandler smirked, hooking her chin with her hand to hold her head up. “It’s utterly adorable. Makes me less wishful to take you all out on a more exciting date-”

 _All of you?_ she thought. _Don’t you mean ‘both’ of you?_

“-But it’s… difficult to do that, with how they’d all mean going to more public places,” she murmured, her smile dropping. “So I can’t exactly do this.”

“Do wha-”

She was cut off by Chandler shooting forward and locking their lips together for a brief, yet heart melting moment. When they parted, Veronica knew she was smiling stupidly, her loopy giggles being blocked by Chandler’s lips, and she only stopped when Chandler suddenly pulled her to the side of the path.

“I know I’m great to look at, but you almost walked into Mac,” she said. Veronica glanced to her side and saw Mara had stopped walking to stare up at the sky. “And here I thought caffeine was meant to make you more alert.”

“Oh, sorry, Mara!” she said. Mara just smiled at her.

“That’s okay! I got distracted by the sky.” She looked back up. “Is that a cloud or the Milky Way?”

Veronica paused in her tracks to follow where she was pointing to. Above them was a clear night sky, and while it was faint, a lighter blue streak could be seen along with the stars.

“It’s a clear night, so that would be the Milky Way,” she said.

“ _Cool!_ ” Mara squealed. “I’ve always wanted to _actually_ see the Milky Way. I know it’s possible, but when there’s a load of street lights around, it’s just impossible.”

“Maybe one day we can go on a road trip to the countryside and see it, how about that?” Veronica said, wrapping her arms around Mara’s front.

“Oh, I’d love that! But who would take us? Neither of us have a car.”

“I meant all four of us.”

“Oh!” She glanced up at Veronica, who gave her a forehead kiss. She giggled. “I’m sure Heather would love to indulge me more on my continuous space hyperfixation. Right, Heather?” She looked to Veronica’s side. “Heather?”

Following Mara’s gaze, Veronica saw that at some point, Chandler had drifted away from them and over to Duke, walking maybe a little too close to her.

“Seriously?” Veronica raised a brow, only to have Mara’s finger land on her lips.

“Shhh.”

They both stood and listened, keeping their distance as they sauntered behind them.

“Where exactly are we going?” Chandler asked, her eyes not once moving away from Duke.

“Not exactly sure, though I do want to go past the lake at some point. Granted, that’s where I’m leading you.”

“Why the lake?” Chandler asked. It wasn’t patronising or demeaning by any means… no, her eyes were full of interest, sparkling with the most genuine _joy_ to be speaking to Duke.

“I think that’s what I’m gonna draw,” Duke replied. “I think water looks really pretty in the dark.”

Chandler paused.

“You might as well just draw your reflection.”

Both Veronica and Mara had to stop, turn away and silently scream into their hands.

“Oh she’s in _deep,_ ” Veronica breathed.

“That’s the kinda thing she’d say to us when she’s _half asleep,_ ” Mara whispered. “Oh no, she’s fallen hard, hasn’t she?”

Veronica grimaced as she looked back to Chandler. The pair of them had also stopped walking, but seemingly for another reason. Duke was busy doodling something in her sketchpad, while Chandler… oh, Chandler held the biggest fucking smile she’d seen from her all night, eyes wide and glistening with admiration as she watched Duke draw whatever she was drawing… hell, Veronica couldn’t be sure she was even looking at the paper. Her eyes just flickered back up to Duke’s face every time.

“Do… do we say anything?” Mara murmured.

“I don’t know, _should_ we?”

“Veronica, if we don’t this is just going to fester and she’ll end up having a huge gay panic. Isn’t that what happened with you?”

Veronica winced. “Fuck, you’re right. But who knows? Maybe she has this all under control and she won’t conceal her feelings this time?”

She was met with the most bemused expression from Mara she’d ever seen.

“...Yeah, nevermind. I’ll talk to her about it.”

“When?”

“Why not tonight?” She shrugged.

“In front of Heather?”

“No, no.” She thoughtfully hummed, looking around at the scenery. “Look, we’re already going into more wooded areas. If I ask Heather to hide somewhere where we can talk, can you distract Heather?”

“Of course.”

They nodded to each other, before approaching the two of them. Once they did, Chandler snapped her gaze away from Heather, all evidence of infatuation vanishing.

“Hey, Heather! What are you drawing?”

Duke quickly finished up her sketch. “I was teaching Heather how to draw different leaf shapes,” she said. “She wants to draw ivy leaves, so I thought I’d help out.”

Veronica noticed that she had a tiny flashlight tucked under her thumb to shine on her sketchpad - made sense, with it being so dark. She glanced at the several drawings, and was surprised to see… really good sketches of leaves. She’d even drawn the veins and tears well.

“Woah, Heather, I didn’t know you could draw.”

Duke shrugged. “They’re not that great. They’re just quick little sketches.”

“Heather, I wouldn’t be able to draw that if I tried for _hours._ ”

She saw the slight blush that appeared on her cheeks. “Well, thanks. That’s nice to hear, considering I haven’t drawn anything in a while.”

“You should!” Mara said. “I’ve missed seeing your drawings.”

“Is that why you wanted us to draw things on our date?”

“...Not entirely, no.”

Duke rolled her eyes, but stole a kiss off the end of Mara’s nose anyway.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” she murmured, a little quiet for either Veronica or Chandler to hear.

“And you’re super sweet,” Mara teased, causing Duke to let out a squeak and bury her face behind her sketchpad. Laughing, Mara took her hand and pulled her forward. “Come on, I heard you mention you wanted to draw the lake. We better get going!”

“There’s no rush, you know.”

“No, but I wanna give you as much time to draw it as you need.”

The two of them took the lead, though Veronica did see Chandler _attempt_ to walk beside Mara for a bit, before realising the path was just too thin to allow a trio. Rolling her eyes, Veronica walked up next to her, slipping her hand around hers and linking their fingers together.

Chandler seemed to pause for a moment, looking down at their linked hands, a little stunned.

“What’s wrong?” Veronica asked.

“Nothing,” she murmured, tightening her grip on her hand. “We’ve just… never held hands before. In public, I mean.”

“Oh… we haven’t.” She too found herself being taken aback by the realisation.

Chandler bit her lip. “I never really understood the holding hands thing,” she confessed. “It always seemed like a tool to boast to everyone that you’re in a relationship, and an annoying one at that. Who wants to keep hold of a football player’s sweaty hand constantly?” She leaned closer to Veronica. “But… obviously we’re not boasting to anyone - we can’t, no matter how much I want to. But it’s still… nice.”

Veronica smiled, touched by her words. “I would love to too. But you’re right, I… really like it.” She held their hands up to gaze at them. “I think I just like holding you as we walk. It really shows the closeness, like we’re not able to hold each other because we’re moving, but we’re still refusing to part with each other, even by a few inches.”

Chandler’s nose scrunched up. “Okay, now that’s just gross and sappy.”

Veronica scoffed. “ _I’m_ the gross and sappy one?” She gave her a slight shove. “You’re the one getting sentimental over _hand holding._ I’m starting to think that behind your mythic bitch persona, you’re actually a hopeless romantic.”

Chandler squawked indignantly. “Of course I’m not!”

“ _Aren’t_ you?” She grinned. “Out of all the date ideas tonight, _yours_ was the most cliche.”

“So?”

“So, you secretly like all those romance novels you probably have hidden away under your bed.”

“ _Sure_ I do.”

“Maybe you’ve even _written_ one.”

“I have not!”

Veronica just laughed, only stopping when Chandler grabbed her cheeks roughly.

“Shut up, I hate you and your stupid laugh.”

“No you don’t.”

Chandler quickly glanced behind them, then in front, before pressing her lips against Veronica’s. They both stopped in the middle of the path, still holding each other’s hands firmly and they shared a deep, passionate kiss. Though they knew no one was around or lurking in the trees (hopefully), it felt oddly freeing to show such intense affection with one another in public.

They both were maybe a little too focused on each other, so Veronica opened her eyes to glimpse at her two other girlfriends, who had noticed how preoccupied they were. Duke was busy chatting about something, occasionally glancing at the two of them before looking away, while Mara seemed relieved to finally catch Veronica’s gaze. She silently understood what she was trying to say, and (unwillingly) broke off from the kiss for a moment.

“Hey, do either of you mind um… giving us some privacy for a bit?” she asked. “I just need to uh… talk to Heather about something.”

Duke rolled her eyes at her, unconvinced. “How about we go further down and we’ll meet you by the lake?” she suggested. “It’s only a couple minutes from here anyway.”

“That would be perfect!” She grinned.

“You wanna join them?” Duke asked Mara, who clutched onto her arm in response.

“It’s dark! I’m not leaving you alone out here.”

“Good point.” She glanced back at Veronica and Chandler, who were both scuttling towards the trees. “Don’t be too loud, it’s pretty quiet out here and we don’t want you two blowing our cover.”

“Chill! We won’t be doing that much,” Veronica reassured her, before she ducked out of sight, still holding Heather’s hand.

“Won’t we?” Chandler teased as they moved a little further into the depths of the woods, stopping in a small clear patch buried by low hanging branches and covered up by a stone wall towering over them. Of course, the path to the lake was right next to a ledge.

Following what she had just implied, Chandler eagerly pushed Veronica against the wall, and was about to lean in to resume their kiss, only to be stopped by Veronica clearing her throat.

“Actually, not to disappoint you, but… I _did_ want to talk to you about something.”

Chandler blinked at her, her impish grin dropping into a disappointed frown.

“Oh.” She stepped away and crossed her arms. “Can we still makeout afterwards though?”

“If you’re still in the mood for it, sure.”

“Why wouldn’t I be in the mood for it?” Chandler raised a brow skeptically. “Veronica, if this is about _next week,_ ” she hissed out those words, “then I would rather you didn’t bring it up now, out of all times? I really don’t want to think about it on our da-”

“What? No! No, it’s not about that.” She placed a hand on her arm to relax her, and Heather’s shoulder’s dropped.

“Okay, good.” She paused. “Then, what do you want to talk to me about?”

Veronica froze for a moment, trying to gather up the right set of words to respond with.

“Uhh… well, you see, um…” She grimaced. “I’m… trying to think of a good way to put this…”

Chandler rolled her eyes. “Whatever it is, just be blunt as you need to be. I’m a big girl, I’m sure I’ve handled worse.”

Veronica nodded, trusting the relaxed expression she held, and took a deep breath.

“Do you like Heather?”

The calm expression on Heather’s face collapsed, if only for a second.

“What?” she eventually laughed, a little uncomfortable. “You mean, the one I’m not dating?”

“Obviously.”

“As… a friend, yes?” Her tone remained confident, but her voice was a little slower than usual, like she was taking longer to process things. “What could possibly make you think otherwise?”

Veronica basically already had her answer at this point, that being an unspoken _yes._ She didn’t need Heather to say it, she just needed her to not laugh in her face and dismiss the rumour in the same way she did _every_ rumour.

Still, she continued.

“Well… you keep staring at her,” she said. “And you’ve been listening to her a lot too, and-”

Heather let out a loud scoff. “Oh, Veronica, you seriously think I’ve caught _feelings_ for her just because I actually pay attention to her now?” She let out an almost convincing cackle. Almost. “You’re just not used to me treating her nicely.”

There was something in her face that faltered when she said that. It looked pained.

“Well, sure, but… it’s not just the fact that you’re _looking_ at her, it’s more of… how.”

Chandler tilted her chin up indignantly. “Oh really? Care to explain what exactly I’m doing?”

“I-” Veronica closed her mouth. “There’s no better way to describe other than…”

Rather than speaking, Veronica instead rested her cheek in her palm, looked off into the distance, as though she were looking at Duke elsewhere, and let her lips slowly curl into a love-struck smile and her eyes widen so all the moonlight seeping through the trees would reflect the very obvious adoration. She held it for a few seconds, before looking back at Heather with a normal expression again. It seems her demonstration had banished a lot of the confidence Heather had had in herself to convince Veronica she was wrong.

“Seriously, you don’t even look at me like that,” Veronica said. “Should I be jealous?”

“No! Veronica, this is ridiculous,” Heather snapped. “I don’t- I don’t like her like that.” She tore her gaze away. “I’ve just been affectionate tonight, is all! I didn’t want to be a stone-cold bitch for our first proper date with one another- I mean, first date with you, Heather and I, and- and Heather’s also with us, so I just- I was just being nithe- _nice_ to her! I didn’t mean to flirt, I just…” Words came tumbling from her mouth in a completely disorganised fashion, as though she had thousands of excuses to use, but they were all in a tangled mess in her brain, and so they all left her tongue in one go. Veronica just listened as she continued to try and articulate her thoughts, trying to not focus on how her lisp would sometimes slip through, or how sometimes she’d occasionally get words the wrong way round, until eventually, she just stopped, let her back slump against the wall and looked up at Veronica and said,

“...Is it that obvious?”

“Oh.” Veronica’s shoulders slumped. “I didn’t expect you to actually admit it.”

Heather frowned. “Then why are you asking me any of this?”

“I didn’t need you to say it to confirm it, but I thought I should at least mention it.” She gave a half-hearted smile as she stepped closer to her. “You like her?”

All the blood rushed to Heather’s face, making her skin look darker than the tight red top she was wearing. She looked away and gave no response, while Veronica couldn’t stop herself from giggling.

“It’s not funny, Veronica,” Heather muttered, burying her mouth behind the black collar of her blazer. Veronica smiled at her.

“Hey, you laughed at me when I told you about my crush on Heather.”

“Technically I didn’t, I just said I would if I weren’t so tired,” she grumbled.

“Details. Besides, I’m not laughing at you, sweetheart.” She placed her fingertips under her chin and lifted her head up to look at her. “I’m just excited! I think it’s adorable that you like her.”

Nothing in Heather’s expression changed. She still looked… awfully pained.

“What’s wrong?” Veronica asked, frowning.

“I can’t like her, Veronica,” Heather murmured, her gaze saddening. Veronica scoffed.

“Of course you can! Heather, even if she doesn’t right now, it’s one of your specialties to swoon people effortlessly until they’re head over heels for you. If I could ask her out and it ended up being a success, then you can do it, no problem-!”

“Don’t you get it, Veronica?” Heather cut in, raising her voice. “No matter what I do, Heather cannot - no, _will not_ ever like me back like that!” She looked defeated. Veronica’s expression softened.

“What makes you say that?”

“Because I…” She crossed her arms tightly. “Veronica, I’m the reason she’s in therapy. Okay, not the _only_ reason, but I’m up there on the list.”

“You don’t know that."

“I do. She literally _told_ me.”

“...Oh.”

“Yeah. _Oh._ ” She buried her face into her hands. “I hurt her. I feel like I hurt her beyond repair, so why she still hangs out with me is beyond my comprehension. I’m not saying I’m not grateful - I _am._ ” She peered over her hands at Veronica. “Which is _exactly_ why I should not like her. I’m lucky enough to be able to keep her as a friend, I shouldn’t risk everything by expecting anything more. Beggars can’t be choosers.”

Veronica wasn’t sure how to respond. She _wanted_ to tell Heather that she should go for it, that she should follow her own damn advice and just ask her out and get it over with. But… she couldn’t.

She didn’t want to say she could see where Heather was coming from… but she’d be lying if she said she couldn’t. Perhaps what she was saying wasn’t true, she could never know unless she asked Duke her thoughts on the matter - but in a stage where that likely wasn’t going to happen, with how vulnerable Chandler appeared, she simply had to accept what Heather was saying made a lot of sense.

She didn’t say anything. She simply pulled Heather in for a hug, which she accepted, resting her chin on her shoulder and wrapping her arms around Veronica tightly.

“I’ll ask again,” she heard Heather say quietly. “Is it that obvious?”

Veronica gave a bittersweet laugh. “Just a little. Both Heather and I noticed.”

“You’re talking about Mac, right?"

“Yes, don’t worry.”

She sighed with relief.

“Well… I’m glad you told me, otherwise Heather _would_ have found out.”

“I’m surprised she hasn’t,” Veronica said. “Then again… were you this obvious with me?”

“We literally made out at the back of the school and you were still convinced I had no feelings for you.”

“That was different! Sexual feelings are easier to accept than romantic ones.” She pulled back from the hug. “Besides, _you_ were the one convinced you didn’t have feelings for me, even when you did… what was it exactly, _this?_ ”

She then pushed Heather backwards until she was pressed up against the wall behind her, and began to lightly kiss up her neck. Chandler let out a surprised squeak.

“You know - _this_ , but more rough.”

“Not my fault you’re hot when you smoke,” Chandler chuckled as Veronica continued to kiss down the length of her neck, her mouth lingering for longer each time.

“My asthma disagrees.”

“Well, it was hot while it lasted, anyway.”

“You know I still smoke, right? I can’t exactly drop it on command.”

“Just try and not die. If I’m to lose you, I’d want your death to be a lot less stupid.”

Veronica bit down on her lip and pulled.

“If I _did_ die in a stupid way,” Veronica asked once she let go, relishing in how Heather’s eyes had fluttered shut. “Would you at least _try_ to make it look like it was really cool, or at least awfully tragic?”

Heather opened her eyes purely to roll them, before pressing Veronica up against her.

“Depends. Would you do that for me?”

Veronica slipped a leg between her thighs.

“That depends on what your dumb death would be.”

Heather tilted her head to the side, where Veronica brushed her flawlessly curled ginger locks out the way so she could nip the pale skin there.

“Mmm… I try and whip up a hangover cure, but I’m so dizzy that I pour myself a glass of draino instead.”

Veronica sucked at the base of her neck, eliciting high pitched whines from Heather.

“That one’s easy. I’d forge you a suicide note. At least then you’d end up on the news with everyone rewriting your life to be horribly tragic and all the people who hate you would pretend to cry at your funeral so they’d get their fifteen minutes of fame.”

Heather’s back arched against Veronica as she pressed her leg upwards.

“I like that. I’d be bigger than John Lennon.”

Veronica laughed against her neck, and Heather giggled next to her ear.

“I love you, you mythic bitch,” Veronica murmured into her ear as she nibbled its edges. Heather sighed as she did.

“I love you too, you fucking loser.”

They stayed there for a while, switching between talking slipping tongues in each other’s mouths, like they couldn’t decide which one was better, up until Veronica simply rested her head against Chandler’s, a comfortable silence falling between them as their breath swirled around them as a white cloud before fading into the cold air.

“Are you going to be okay?” Veronica murmured against her lips. Chandler blinked at her and rolled her eyes.

“I’ve only had this dumb crush for a few days, you know. It’ll pass, it’s not like it’s eating me up inside.”

Veronica couldn’t help but feel saddened by the idea; the idea of the whole group coming together and dating one another was such a nice concept, but knowing she had no business controlling what Heather - or Heather - should do with their feelings, she let the idea go. Granted, it still lingered at the back of her mind, because who knows what could happen, right?

“Perhaps I can eat you up instead,” Veronica murmured, only to be pushed away.

“ _Never_ word it like that again,” Chandler gagged. “And while I’m up for that, we’ve been gone for a while. We should go check on the other two and make sure they haven’t been murdered. I’m the one with the knife, after all.”

“Yeah, you make a good point.”

The two of them stumbled back down the slope and eventually reached the path again, only occasionally having stray branches tug on their clothes. It’s a good thing they’d let go of each other’s hands, as looking back in the direction they came from, they saw a couple of dog walkers making their way towards them. They quickly made their way further down the path and towards the lake, which soon came into view. It probably shouldn’t have been a surprise that when they spotted Heather and Heather, Mara had Duke pinned up against the railings so she could do very similar things that Veronica had been doing to Chandler moments before, but it was in fact unexpected.

“Hey, you two better break it off, less you want those dog walkers to find you like that,” Chandler spoke up, snapping her fingers to grab their attention. Mara seemed perfectly fine with being caught, casually stepping away from Duke with a smile as though she wasn’t just licking up the length of Duke’s neck with her hands wandering over her chest. Duke, however, seemed very flustered that she’d been caught in the act, quickly straightening up her outfit and averting her gaze from either Veronica or Chandler. Veronica chuckled to herself.

“Heather, you’re adorable,” she said. Duke pouted at her.

“Shush.”

Interrupting them, though, was the sound of the dog walkers talking in the distance, and so the group quickly hurried away, off to find somewhere else to look at the lake. Duke was right about it being pretty under the night sky, though, especially with such a clear view of the moon and stars, and even the Milky Way streak that Mara had mentioned before. That view was reflected on the dark water, the bright lights rippling along with the soft breeze that stroked the surface of the water.

“This is very beautiful,” Veronica murmured. “I can see why you’d want to draw it.”

Next to her, Duke hummed.

“It’s a little ironic, honestly,” she said. “Considering how scared I am of water.”

“I’m scared of dogs, but I still think they’re cute.”

“Even mine?"

“Yeah, you know, when your brother isn’t encouraging him to walk up to me.”

“Yeah… sorry about that.”

“It isn’t your fault.”

When they fell quiet again, Mara walked up to her, held her arm and slowed her down slightly so they lagged behind the group..

“So? What happened?” she whispered. Veronica gazed at her sadly.

“Well… we were right, for starters.”

“Really?” Her eyes lit up excitedly. “Is she going to-”

“No.”

Her shoulders slumped.

“Why not?”

Veronica glanced at Duke and Chandler. They would occasionally talk to one another, with Chandler offering a half-hearted smile in response. Clearly she had swallowed all noticeable enthusiasm.

“You can ask her for the details later, but basically, she doesn’t think it’s a good idea to pursue anything.”

Mara seemed to deflate.

“Oh…”

Veronica couldn’t help but feel pity for her.

“Hey… that’s not to say it could never happen,” she said. “Things are just unsure right now.”

“I guess.”

Veronica sighed. “Let’s not let it get us down, we’re having a good time, aren’t we? Besides, I still need to think of something to draw. When the caffeine has worn off and I can hold a pencil steadily, that is.” She glanced at her hand. Yep, still shaking.

Mara’s smile picked up again. “Yeah, you do! We’ll be moving onto your part of the date soon enough, after all.”

The joy of the evening picked back up, with the path finally having grown wide enough for the four of them to walk in a row. They had walked around half the lake when they finally found a fitting place to sit to let Duke start her drawing; just under a tree near the water. Chandler, Veronica and Mara sat next to her for a little bit, until a little splash in the water caught Mara’s attention. She grabbed her sketchpad and darted forward, sitting right on the edge of the lake to quickly doodle whatever had caught her attention.

“What are you drawing, Mara?” Veronica asked.

“There’s a frog!” Mara squealed. “He’s so cute.”

“Oh!” Curious, Veronica stood up and walked over to her, stopping just behind her to see the little amphibian sitting on a small lily pad floating on the water. It was dark, so she mainly only saw the sheen of its skin under the moonlight, but she could definitely make out its beady little eyes staring blankly ahead.

She then glanced at Mara’s sketchpad, and saw that she had quickly scribbled the basic shape. The sketch was messy, and yet somehow completely comprehensible and _good._

“Is everyone here an artist but me?” she sighed.

“I’m not,” Chandler said. “I would have drawn some ivy leaves by now, but I refuse to do that without a reference.”

“Also, I’m more of a painter than a drawer,” Mara pointed out.

“But you’re _good!_ ”

“Thank you!”

Veronica went back and slumped in between Chandler and Duke, only for a little while until both Duke and Mara stood up and said they were done with their sketches. ‘Sketches’, by the way, was an understatement. Duke’s drawing of the water had such realistic shading and pretty patterns drawn in the water, with the shimmer and ripples outlined with the usage of the little eraser on the pencil - God, Veronica would never have thought of that! It was… so impressive. Mara, on the other hand, was able to draw a messy, yet realistic looking frog with a goofy little smile, just her own little touch to what would otherwise be complete and utter realism. It was adorable, and reminded Veronica so much of her personality.

It was a good thing they were finished though, as a couple of people could be seen circling the perimeter of the lake, and they didn’t exactly want to risk being seen doing anything particularly affectionate.

So off they went, on a search for a place where they could all be alone.

* * *

So, spoiler alert, it’s hard to find a public place where you can simultaneously be alone and also be completely in the open, so rather than sitting in the middle of a very open field in the park, they had settled in Mara’s back yard on top of a soft blanket so they wouldn’t get grass stuck to them.

This was the last stage of their date, with Veronica having chosen to stargaze. A simple, seemingly boring activity, she knew, but so far she had managed to keep their attention, sitting in front of and facing her three girlfriends as she pointed out the many constellations she had memorised. Chandler was pretty smug the whole way through, acting as though she remembered more than she really did. It wasn’t like she got the small dipper mixed up with the big dipper or anything.

“And there’s Gemini,” she pointed out. “Heather, that’s your star sign.”

“I’ve never been into star signs. Someone fill me in on what being a Gemini means for me?”

“That you’re two-faced,” Duke said dryly. Chandler whipped her head around to glare at her.

“Ha-ha, very funny.”

“Actually, she’s right. Gemini’s are generally two-faced,” Veronica said. Chandler’s smile dropped.

“...Astrology isn’t real anyway.”

“It could be!” Mara said. Chandler rolled her eyes at her.

“You’re more superstitious than me, Mac,” she murmured, planting a kiss just below her ear. Mac shrugged.

“There are a lot of things we don’t know about the universe.”

“Your view of the universe is a lot more positive than mine,” she said, huddling close to her with her head tucked into her neck.

“See, that’s why you need Veronica and I,” she said. “Say, maybe it’s to do with the fact that we’re both Capricorns? What traits do we have, Ronnie?”

Veronica hummed to herself. “Well, we’re meant to be analytical and organised, but we’re also realists.”

“That doesn’t sound like Emmy at all,” Duke said. “It sounds a lot like you though.”

“It sounds like you too,” Veronica said. “Honestly, I think you and Mara must have swapped your zodiac traits, because she’s much more of a Sagittarius than you are.”

“What are their traits?” Mara asked.

“Generally extroverted, idealistic, often truthful and accidentally hurt other people’s feelings, and their ruling planet is Jupiter.” She snickered. “I also remember reading something about them being adventurous both outside of and in bed, so they’re most likely to have sex toys.”

Chandler suddenly burst out laughing, which got Mara to shove her off.

“If you two swap birthdays, I’ll actually consider believing this shit. That _is_ accurate!”

Duke and Veronica exchanged an odd look, before giving Mara a questioning look. She just looked at them both sheepishly.

“Look, I just… I wanted to take advantage of being eighteen, okay?”

“So, you _do_ have sex toys?” Veronica shuffled forward. “Such as?”

“That’s a surprise!”

“Why not tell us? We’re all dating here,” Duke said with a snicker, while Veronica held back a wince as she glanced at Chandler in hearing the poor wording. She’d stopped laughing at that point, and while there was a brief moment of dejection in her gaze, it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

“Because it’s hard for me to describe them all when I can’t show you them.”

“But Heather’s obviously seen them!” Veronica whined. “Why haven’t you shown _us?_ ”

“Heather found them by _accident._ We haven’t used them yet!” She then pushed Veronica back into her spot on the blanket. “Now continue with showing us constellations.”

“I’ve been going for a while. Also, shouldn’t I get started on my drawing? You and Heather finished yours, and Heather’s almost there, I assume.” She glanced at Chandler’s open sketchpad. She had been telling the truth before - she wasn’t an artist. But her attempt at drawing the ivy climbing down the side of Mara’s house was a pretty good one, even if her perspective was a little off. It was likely much better than she could do.

“What are you planning on drawing?” Mara asked.

“I still don’t know!” She frowned. “Maybe a cuddle will give me inspiration?” She reached her arms forward, expecting at least one of them to shuffle over to sit next to her. Instead, three arms grabbed her at once and she was yanked forward onto her stomach - she assumed on accident - and as soon as she picked herself up again, she was tackled by Mara, who stared down at her victoriously as she straddled her by the waist.

“I win!” she announced.

“That’s not fair!” Duke complained. “You can’t hog Veronica all to yourself, then _we_ have no one to cuddle with!”

“The easy solution would be to date each other,” Mara said. There was an edge to her tone, like she _knew_ she was being risky, but she had taken the chance anyway. Veronica searched the two of them for a reaction. Chandler was biting the inside of her cheek, eyes flickering back and forth as though she were debating on something.

“Yeah, Heather, just date me and make this more convenient,” she eventually quipped, but as Veronica was in the know, she could tell that there wasn’t as much sarcasm to her tone as there should have been. Still, it seemed to be enough to cover her true intentions up enough for Duke to not notice, as she just scoffed.

“Dating someone for convenience is more of a you thing than a me thing,” she retorted. Chandler indignantly squawked at her.

“Oh _really?_ ”

“Yes? That’s never been something you’ve been ashamed of.”

“Well, no,” Chandler grumbled. “It’s just not true anymore.”

“You’re saying we’re not convenient enough for you?” Veronica asked. Chandler raised a brow.

“No? This is the least convenient relationship I have ever been in. Not only is it gay, but it’s also more than one person.” She frowned. “Why have none of us stopped to actually think about what we’re actually doing?”

Mara finally slid off of Veronica, and the group shifted themselves so that Veronica acted as the big spoon for Duke (which _was_ very convenient, with how small she was) and Chandler and Mara on either of her sides.

“What do you mean?” Mara asked, leaning over and resting her chin on Duke’s head to look at Chandler, who rested her own head on Veronica’s shoulder, occupying herself with twirling one of her brown locks around her finger.

“I mean, how did we all end up dating one another?” she wondered out loud. “It isn’t exactly a very conventional thing for teens to do, especially teens like us.”

“True, but who cares?” Duke shrugged, purring slightly as Mara ran her hand through her hair. “Are you suggesting we’d be happier if we went back to doing what everyone expects of us?”

“No, I’m not,” Chandler said.

“Personally, I’m glad we all ended up like this,” Veronica sighed. “I can’t say I’ve ever had a better date than this, even if we did have to stay hidden.”

There was some sort of silent agreement with them all, with how they all shuffled a little closer.

“You know, as nice as stargazing is,” Chandler eventually spoke up again. “Doesn’t it get annoying after a while?”

“What do you mean?” Veronica asked.

“Because it’s a black sky. You can more easily see all those tiny dots when you’re looking at it.”

“...Stars?”

“No! The static-y stuff that’s always there, you just learn to not notice it unless you actually focus on it.”

“What are you-”

“ _Right?_ ” Mara agreed loudly. “Honestly, at night they get so noticeable I sometimes mistake them for stars!”

“Exactly! It’s so annoying trying to look for all the stars and just having this weird static flicker all over the place!”

Veronica and Duke both stared at each other, both having absolutely no clue what either of them were on about.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Duke asked. “I don’t see any static or whatever.”

“Yeah? Me neither. And I’m pretty sure _I’m_ the only one who has any vision problems.” She looked back and forth at them both. “Are your guys’ eyes okay?”

Both Chandler and Mara stared at her, dumbfounded.

“You mean… you _don’t_ see the rainbow static?” Mara asked quietly.

“It’s like an overlay on your vision all the time. It’s been there your whole life. Have you just not noticed it?” Chandler added. Veronica and Duke both shook their heads.

“I think you just got fucked up eyes, guys,” Duke said casually.

“What the fuck,” Chandler said lowly.

“So you’re telling me your vision is _clear?_ ” Mara exclaimed. “ _What!_ ”

Veronica snickered as the two of them had their own little crisis. “You learn something new every day,” she sighed, pulling Duke a little closer. “Such as how nice it is to hold you.”

Duke let out a flustered squeal as Veronica effortlessly pulled her even closer, until there was no space between Veronica’s stomach and Duke’s back. Disgruntled, Duke twisted herself around so she could press a sweet kiss against her lips, which Veronica eagerly welcomed. It lasted for a few moments, with Veronica cupping Duke’s cheek tenderly, as if she were made of something incredibly delicate, up until she opened her dazed eyes slightly and saw Chandler gazing at the two of them with a doleful expression. In some ways, it was worse than jealousy, because at least jealousy was a selfish emotion. The feeling of watching someone share what you want between you with another, all because you feel like asking for something more is too much… it was selfless, and Veronica knew very well that Chandler wasn’t good at selflessness.

As soon as they locked eyes, however, any dampened emotion visible in Chandler’s expression disappeared, and she looked away, almost as though she was sorry for letting it slip to Veronica how she felt. She felt pity swell up in her chest, and she broke off the kiss a few moments later. There was a content smile and closed, relaxed eyes on Duke’s face that lifted Veronica’s mood again, and she could hardly feel bad for kissing her at all.

As she gazed into her eyes for a little longer, she saw white, fluffy petals fly by just behind Duke’s hair, a few of them attaching themselves to it. Veronica brushed them off and let them float off with the wind, and in looking to her side, saw Mara had picked a dandelion and blown it. The petals scattered in the air, some falling to the ground, where they would plant themselves and grow more of their own flowers, whereas others just weren’t satisfied with Mara’s back garden, no matter how big and pretty it was, and decided to search for something even bigger, even more beautiful. Veronica continued to stare at them until they flew out of sight.

“I think I know what I’m going to draw,” she murmured. Mara gasped.

“What is it?”

“Drawing a dandelion was my first idea hours ago, actually,” she said, watching Mara throw the stem onto the grass. “But I thought I’d wait to see if I’d find anything prettier.”

Mara snorted. “Just because they’re common doesn’t mean they’re not pretty. Granted, I prefer it when they’re yellow, but it’s fun to blow the petals away.” She picked another one, and when her first blow didn’t get all of them, Veronica assisted in pushing the rest into the breeze. “Do you want your sketchpad?”

Veronica glanced at the other side of the blanket, seeing just how _far away_ it was, and how she’d have to _move Duke off of her_ and _stop holding Chandler’s hand_ (hey, when did Chandler link fingers with her, anyway?) and _stop brushing shoulders with Mara_ and...

“Not right now.” She wrapped her arms around Duke and fell backwards, which made the smaller girl yelp as she was dragged down to what would have been the ground, had Veronica’s stomach not been there to hold her up.

“Give me warning next time,” Duke grumbled as she flipped over onto her own stomach so she could look up at Veronica, resting her chin on her abdomen. “Damn… you have a hard stomach.” She pressed down on it slightly, a little fascinated. Veronica chuckled.

“I told you, I had acrobatic days.”

“Clearly.”

Veronica then grabbed Mara and Chandler’s arms, dragging them down with her.

“Bitch,” Chandler grumbled as she curled up by her side, burying her nose into the crook of her neck, letting out a content sigh as she did so.

“Rich, coming from you.”

She kneed her in the thigh in response.

“Ow.”

“Shush, that didn’t hurt.”

Veronica laughed, planting a small kiss on her forehead, eliciting a purr right next to her ear. Shivering at the sound, she turned her attention to Mara, who rested her head on her chest and stretched one arm across her so she could grab onto Chandler’s hand, basically trapping Veronica beneath them. From the looks of it, all three of them had closed their eyes, lightly breathing as they snuggled up against her like she was some sort of stuffed animal to hold. Veronica didn’t mind, though. She simply continued looking up at the stars (and seeing no sort of static whatsoever?) and let her eyes trace the many constellations she had listed before.

“Hey,” she eventually whispered after a long period of silence. All three shifted a little. “I love you.”

“You’re a sap,” Chandler quipped.

“Yeah, I’m with Heather on this one,” Duke muttered.

“I love you too!” Mara chipped.

Veronica raised a brow at them all, before flinging Duke off of her (unintentionally onto Chandler… sorry about that, Heather) sitting up and scooping Mara up into her arms, where she staggered onto her feet and began to walk off.

“Hey!” Chandler barked, nervously scrambling out from under Duke. “What was that for?”

“Where are you going?” Duke called after her.

“I’m taking my only valid girlfriend,” Veronica announced, gripping onto her tighter so she wouldn’t drop her (she has a lot of muscle, so of course she isn’t light). Mara just giggled sweetly, wrapping her arms around her neck.

“Does this mean I’m getting railed tonight?” she cooed, batting her lashes at her. “I knew being nice would get me _something_ in return.”

Veronica frowned, before purposely dropping her. Luckily she had quick enough reflexes to land on her feet.

“I’m kidding! I do actually love you,” Mara said, cupping her face to plant a sweet kiss on her lips. “But if you also wanna rail me, I’m not opposed.”

“Cute, but I think Heather would get jealous, and want to join in,” she said, glancing at Chandler. “And then Heather would be left alone, and I’d feel too bad to let that happen.”

“You can let that happen if I fall asleep first, how about that?” Duke suggested. Chandler gave a thumbs up.

“I second this proposal.”

“That means not waking you up, and, uh…” Veronica stared at Chandler. “I think that would be far too difficult.”

“Oh, please, I’m not _that_ loud,” Chandler scoffed, before noticing Mara was also staring. “Don’t look at me like that.” After staring her down for a little longer, she finally gave in. “But… _just in case,_ I’ll make an effort to be quiet.” She then reached a hand out to them both. “Now, could you come back? I’m _cold._ ”

“Then you should have been nicer,” Veronica teased. Chandler rolled her eyes.

“Okay, I’m _sorry,_ ” she groaned. “I do love you really. Like, a lot. So please come back so I can hold you again.”

“Me too, I was _comfortable,_ Veronica!” Duke whined. Chuckling, Veronica and Mara returned to the cuddle pile returning to the positions they had been in before, only this time with a much tighter hold on each other. It _was_ getting cold outside, after all. Granted, they could have easily packed up their things and go inside Mac’s house, and they would likely return to the comfort of a warm bed soon enough, but for now, they were content pressed up against one another, feeling each other’s warmth protect them from the cold wind, with the stars twinkling above them and grass rustling below. Veronica too closed her eyes eventually, finding herself comfortable enough to lie in the open, holding her girlfriends close.

While she couldn’t see the sky with her eyes closed, of course, she did wonder if a shooting star would fly by any time soon, purely so she could wish that this could last forever, because fuck, she didn’t want to move from this spot, she didn’t want to let go of any of them.

She knew their relationship was unconventional. Not just because they were all gay, not just because they weren’t following typical monogamous rules, but also because… they were the Heathers. The top of the school, the Queen Bees, the rich bitches. If she were to go back in time and tell a younger her, even by only six months younger, that she’d end up dating all three, that she’d end up confessing her dying love for them over and over again, she’d likely get punched right back into the present out of pure absurdity. Nothing about their relationship was conventional or convenient… and yet in spite of all of that, they were still together.

 _Sometimes it feels like it’s too easy,_ she thought. _I’m so grateful that it is… but by all the laws and rules and injustice of the universe, I expected there to be more hurdles thrown our way._

The very thought of such a thing was uncomfortable enough, and her hold on her girlfriends tightened. The only one that stirred was Chandler - Duke and Mara seemed to have drifted off into some sort of unconsciousness, if they weren’t entirely asleep, that is.

“Something wrong?” Chandler murmured. It seems she was half asleep too. Veronica peeked at her, seeing her gaze up at her with a dazed look.

“No, no, nothing’s wrong,” Veronica reassured her, kissing her forehead. Heather smiled softly, her eyes closing again. “I just forgot to tell you that Geminis are actually really nice. They’re intelligent and imaginative, and wonderful to date."

“Oh.” The smile grew wider. “That’s so sweet of you to say, ‘Ronica.”

Veronica was pretty sure Heather wouldn’t have said that if she were more awake, but she seemed so content and hazy that her pride had failed to filter her words. If there was anything more to be grateful for, it’s that she was able to see Heather Chandler in such a vulnerable, yet adorable and entrancing state, when so, so few people would fail to even picture it.

It was getting harder to view the Heathers like she once did. So, so much harder.

And a niggling thought at the back of her head was telling her that that wasn’t a good thing.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> "Gale, this is such a soft fic. that isn't like you at all... what are you planning exactly"
> 
> snip snip motherfucker
> 
> https://heathersgameoftag.tumblr.com/


End file.
